iPaint User Interface Design

The iPaint user interface will be based around two UI elements:

1. The Canvas
2. The Trays

Each of these elements serves a specific purpose that will centralize the design of the application.

The Canvas is the main UI element used in the application. It serves the purpose of displaying the painting, along with allowing the user to paint directly onto it, using as many of their fingers as physically possible. For most people, this is 10.

Trays are floating, dockable UI elements that act as a container for other, more common UI elements such as buttons and sliders. They also have the ability to be hidden out of the way of the canvas, but can also be easily returned by pressing a single button. The standard application menu should be contained in a tray, along with color wheel, toolbox, layers, and effects palettes. This way the user has near maximum control over their screen real estate. All trays are layered in order of touch. The last touched tray is moved onto the top of the tray stack in order to not become covered.